There is passion in the words
exchanged between lovers
when the arrow is initially shot,
but there comes a second death
when old letters are discovered
on dusty shelves believed forgotten.

What hand penned such thoughts
from the head rush of sweet amore?

It can’t be dubbed a lie
if it felt like truth in the moment,
but even the most sincere hearts
can sometimes be fooled
by trickster gods
on the prowl.

Let Others Fool Around with Stones

Techniques, styles, comparisons,
critiques –

I listen to others
discuss the work
of their contemporaries
or that from the canon

I tune in with interest
to such discourse
and perhaps
even nod or shake my head

but rarely will I ever
opine on such a subject

because in the end
it has no bearing
on the words I write

Thoughts about ghosts
are about as good as a mirage

and as far
as running my mouth
about the writing of others
I’d rather stay mum
and tend to my own

Hemorrhage

Dark in the belly of hunger

A way out
of the whale

waiting in slumber

Watery wombs and tombs
between us

Winter masks/summer shades
quiet desperation

Holding our breath
as lungs fill/collapse

The final fall
hits (hurts) hardest

Black in the night of no moon

A new taste
of the silence

promises of smoke

Eyes with specks and beams
that blind us

Autumn tears/springtime gasps
ring hollow

Biting our tongues
as blood flows/fails

The ancient smile
slips (snaps) loudest

Eternal and Infinite

Are those stars
or the headlights of a car?
O my dear,
we are all just deer
staring at God.

About the Author:

Scott Thomas Outlar hosts the site 17Numa.com where links to his published poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, reviews, live events, and books can be found. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Scott was a recipient of the 2017 Setu Magazine Award for Excellence in the field of literature. His words have been translated into French, Italian, Dutch, Persian, Serbian, Albanian, and Afrikaans. His radio show Songs of Selah airs weekly.